Enter at your own risk!

As I get into one of the many three wheeled death traps, I hope that I will reach my destination in one piece…

Firstly, I glance to the meter to check if it has been started correctly or I will end up paying for the driver’s 2 extra pegs for the evening.. After settling myself in the middle of the seat – the safest place I might add, I brace myself for the journey ahead.

These small black n yellow pea-sized transporters are driven by a variety of men… Let me enlighten you about some of them… There are the younger ones who think they are the next Schumacher on the Montreal track overtaking all the Williams n the Jordans on the way… Then you have the ones who sit sideways on the driver’s seat and so much on the edge that I fear on one of the sharp turns I will end up with a ghost driver! There are those who are talkative and give you a guided tour of the passing roads or will divulge age old wisdom and advice about the poverty and the govt all in one breath! The best ones are those that give you a smile and nod their heads when guided to take the first left and then the second right after the signal…

And now I introduce the ones that make us wince in pain, those who test our limits of patience and whom at times we could readily strangle with our bare hands!! Yes, they are of two types – ones that refuse to let u sit in their chariots especially when you need to get to work early that very day for a meeting and then there are the ones that refuse to give you the change after blatantly accusing us that it is our responsibility to keep exact change in our pockets!!

Having said that, let me describe some of the memorable interiors of these transporters – they vary from being completely simple and bare with 2 side mirrors with simple passenger seats covered with black to red to blue raxine covers to the elaborate ones which have huge speakers screaming the latest hindi songs into your ears with posters of hindi actors/actresses adorning the inner walls, with seats covered with printed towels under clear plastic sheets… And yes, last but not the least, if you peek under the driver’s handles you will see suspended on a white string, 7 green chillies, 1 lemon and 1 piece of charcoal kept there to ward off evil spririts…

Welcome to the Auto Rickshaws of amchi Mumbai which are the lifelines of the road transport in the suburbs… Enter at your own risk! ;-)